Session 11 Readings - The Digital Divide

Before reading the articles this week I thought that “the digital divide” referred to the divide between those skilled in the use of technology and those who are not. That is part of it, but it's not the main focus. What I didn’t realize is that the emphasis isn’t on knowledge and skill as much as it is on effective access to the technology. This concept seems to make more sense on an international level than it does here within the U.S. Undoubtedly there are many people in our country who don’t have a computer readily available to them, but they do have some access because there are so many public places where computers with the Internet are freely accessible. Internationally however, there are so many developing countries that haven’t even been exposed to this technology. There is little or no access to computers and the Internet. This is where you really begin to see the divide between the haves and the have-nots.

In the “Introduction to A Deepening Divide” article, Van Dijk suggests that the concept of digital divide should be reframed in order to reach a better understanding of it. He makes a distinction between four different kinds of “access” which include: physical, motivational, skills, and usage. I think this is a great idea. Just because people have physical access to computers and the Internet, doesn’t mean that they are willing to use it, or that they even know how to use it. All of those components should be considered when speaking of the digital divide.

This recent news article talks about the digital divide in regards to proficiency in using the technology, focusing on the divide between kids and their parents: Digital Divide: Kids outsmart their parents